1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rigid laryngoscope which includes an intubating stylet for supporting and inserting an endotracheal intubation tube into the laryngeal area of the human body and more particularly relates to a laryngoscope having a shaped frame with a relatively rigid blade and an intubating stylet operatively coupled thereto for positioning a workpiece, such as an endotracheal intubation tube, in the larynx and upper trachea region of a patient.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the medical field and during performance of a surgical procedure in the human body, it is usually necessary to provide a positive air passage way for the administration of anesthesia and/or for mechanical inflation of the lungs of a patient. Typically, an endotracheal intubation tube is utilized as the means for providing the positive air passageway through the larynx and into the trachea region or tracheal area of a patient. However, in order to pass the endotracheal intubation tube through the larynx, it is necessary to displace the epiglottis which normally overlies the glottic opening into the larynx. The epiglottis functions to prevent the passage of foreign objects, such as, for example food, into the trachea. In performing an endotracheal intubation procedure on a patient, an initial step of the procedure is to displace the epiglottis from the glottal opening to permit the endotracheal intubation tube to pass through the larynx or vocal cords and be inserted into the trachea.
It is known in the medical field to utilize a laryngoscope to facilitate endotracheal intubation of a patient prior to surgery wherein an endotracheal intubation tube is inserted into the trachea to provide a positive air passageway which is used for the above described purposes.
Laryngoscopes are well known in the art. Laryngoscopes known in the art include structures comprising a rigid blade which can either be of a straight construction or a slightly curved construction. Examples of the known laryngoscopes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,086,919, 3,598,113; 3,643,654; 3,766,909 and 3,771,514.
In addition, laryngoscopes are provided with a light guide to illuminate a working site or working area within the human body for visualization by the user and a fiber optic image bundle for transmitting an image from the working site through the laryngoscope to the proximal portion of the laryngoscope where the image can be viewed directly by the anesthetist or, as an alternative, the optical image is utilized as an input optical image to a video camera to produce a video image thereof. Typical of such laryngoscopes which include illumination means and optical image transporting means are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,776,222; 3,913,568; 3,677,262 and 4,086,919.
It is also known in the art to have a laryngoscope include a working channel. One such laryngoscope is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,669. U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,669 discloses an intubation mechanism having a placement device which includes an elongated shaft which can be inserted into and moved within the working channel of the laryngoscope. During use, a laryngoscope having the intubating mechanism operatively mounted thereto is inserted into the mouth or oral cavity of a patient with the patient in the supine position. The laryngoscope performs the tasks of positioning the blade in the mouth of the patient displacing the tongue and exposing the glottis, all of which is accomplished by visual confirmation through a fiber optic image bundle. The intubation mechanism placement device includes a grasping means which is located at the distal region of the elongated shaft. The grasping means is adapted to grasp, hold and release at least a portion of a workpiece, such as the Murphy Eye of an endotracheal intubation tube. The intubation mechanism enables the workpiece to be grasped and moved with the laryngoscope and when the workpiece is in the desired position it can then be released from the grasping means and be advanced into the desired location.
In the alternative, a malleable stylet may be used in lieu of the intubating mechanism. In use, the malleable stylet is passed through an endotracheal intubation tube to form a separate subassembly which is then inserted adjacent the laryngoscope, past the larynx or vocal cords and into the trachea of the patient.
By use of the laryngoscope having the intubation mechanism or by use of a malleable stylet, an endotracheal intubation tube is transported past the displaced epiglottis through the glottic opening into the trachea of a patient.